House of Austria-Este

The House of Austria-Este was a cadet branch of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine that also claimed descent from the House of Este. The house was created in 1771 with the marriage of Ferdinand, Duke of Bresigau to Maria Beatrice d'Este, and the Austria-Este family inherited the Duchy of Modena and Reggio from the Este family after its 1803 extinction. The Austria-Este family ruled Modena and Reggio, the Duchy of Massa and Carrara, the Duchy of Ferrara, and the Duchy of Guastalla until Italian reunification in 1860; it also held the title of Archduke of Austria-Este.